


All That Anyone Could Ask For

by shetookyourbreathaway



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Emily comforts her, F/F, JJ has to go through a brutal workout, That's it, it's just fluff, it's short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:27:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29054373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shetookyourbreathaway/pseuds/shetookyourbreathaway
Summary: Throwing on an oversized sweatshirt and some underwear, JJ crawled under the blankets and curled up against Emily’s side. All she wanted to do was go back to sleep and let her tired body rest, but her muscles were tense from the exertion, shivers continuing to wrack her frame. She drummed her fingers against Emily’s stomach absent-mindedly.
Relationships: Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss
Comments: 3
Kudos: 111





	All That Anyone Could Ask For

**Author's Note:**

> This is really just what I wish I could come home to after a hard workout. That's it.  
> It's pure fluff for my favorite ladies... if your love language is touch, you should like this.
> 
> Content warning: if mentions of gagging/feeling nauseous bother you, that is briefly mentioned at the end of JJ's workout.

_ Just one. more. lap. _ JJ promised herself as she dragged herself around the track, her once long-strided, clean-form run having slowed to a much more painful, shuffling gait. The weighted bag that she had slung across her upper back was making her arms and shoulders burn and tighten. They were quickly getting closer to giving out entirely. She sucked in a burning cold breath between her teeth, feeling the freezing air sear her lungs before she forced herself to exhale long and slow through pursed lips.  _ Of course they would hold the toughest training day of the year on a morning when it’s well below freezing with howling winds _ . 

JJ briefly closed her eyes, squaring her shoulders and focusing on the rhythm of her steps. The wind bit at the exposed areas of her face and her feet were going numb, though she could simultaneously feel sweat soaking through her layers.  _ Just focus on the next 10 feet in front of you. One step at a time. The harder you push, the faster you’ll be done. _ She tried to convince herself to pick up her knees a little higher, tugging the bag up her shoulders in a half-hearted attempt to keep in the optimal position.

“Come on Jareau!” The sergeant yelled across the track. “You’ve got this! Don’t let me see you slowing down. Push through!” JJ steeled herself with another deep breath and imagined the heavy load on her shoulders was an injured teammate she was carrying to safety.  _ Come on, do it for them. You’re so close, and hell will freeze over before I let my team down.  _

Each step felt just a little bit worse than the last, the burn of lactic acid building in her hamstrings. Her nose was running from the cold, but JJ couldn’t let go of the bag to swipe at it. Instead, she simply pushed on, feeling the snot slowly run down her face. She let her head hang down, staring at the ground, while her feet pounded unevenly against it. She eventually rounded the last turn onto the final straightaway.  _ Alright, time for a final push. _

“Come on Jareau!” The sergeant’s booming voice forced its way into her awareness. “Push through those last hundred meters, let’s go, let’s go!” Finding the last reserve of will in her, JJ went into as close of a final sprint as she could manage . Her mind went blank, the world shrinking to the pounding of her pulse in her ears and the silent roaring of pain throughout her body. 

Staggering across the finish line, JJ dropped her 70-pound bag on the ground, and doubled over, sucking in a deep, desperate breath. Immediately, she gagged on the air, feeling the threat of vomit rising in the back of her throat. Clapping her hand over her mouth, JJ stumbled off the track, scanning the area desperately for a trash can while trying to force herself to take deep, slow breaths. Grabbing onto the cold metal fence on the edge of the track, JJ leaned her forehead against the cool metal. 

After a few minutes, though her stomach was still roiling, JJ was fairly confident that she wasn’t going to throw up. She walked slowly back towards the finish line, where sweaty agents were in various positions of agony, from splayed out on the ground, to doubled over, to a few who were beginning to catch their breath and put some warmer layers on. JJ forced herself to take a few slow sips of water and then followed suit, pulling all of her previously-discarded layers back on. Sweat was evaporating off of her in waves of steam, and the chill began to set deep into her bones. 

Shivering after the debrief, JJ walked slowly to her car, climbing in and immediately turning on the heat to full blast. She drove home in a daze, still shivering. She unlocked the door of the apartment, and wandered into the bedroom, where Emily lay, awake, curled up under the blankets. JJ was still shivering as she silently stripped off all of her layers, her sore shoulders protesting as she pulled shirt after shirt off. 

Entering the shower, JJ let the hot water pound over her aching body, watching as her blue fingernails and toenails eventually returned to their natural hue. The hot water ran out much too quickly for her taste, slightly annoyed and still shivering, she left the bathroom wrapped in a towel. 

Throwing on an oversized sweatshirt and some underwear, JJ crawled under the blankets and curled up against Emily’s side. All she wanted to do was go back to sleep and let her tired body rest, but her muscles were tense from the exertion, shivers continuing to wrack her frame. She drummed her fingers against Emily’s stomach absent-mindedly. 

For her part, Emily had watched JJ come into their bedroom sullen and shivering. It was a stark contrast to her usual ray of sunshine, who would bounce through the door, dancing around as she peppered Emily’s face with sweaty kisses.  The oversized Yale sweatshirt and billows of steam from JJ's scalding shower had clearly not done their job in halting the blonde’s shivers. Emily could still feel the cold surging through her girlfriend's body as JJ pressed her freezing toes against her legs.

“Hey,” Emily murmured against JJ’s hair, shifting to press a light kiss to the younger woman’s forehead. “How was training this morning?”

“Awful.” JJ buried her head further into the crook of Emily’s neck. “I’m still fucking  _ freezing _ babe. My shoulders are killing me, and I almost threw up, and I was still 48 seconds slower than I was last time. Like, come  _ on _ . I’ve  _ got _ to get it together and stop letting the sergeant down. I  _ hate _ letting people down.”

“Hey, hey.” Emily pulled JJ even closer, rubbing her hands up and down the blonde’s sides, hoping to infuse as much warmth as possible into her body. “You didn’t let  _ anyone _ down, Jayje. It’s okay not to be at peak performance every single day.” JJ sighed into the contour of Emily’s collarbone. “Did you try your best?”

“Of course.” JJ sounded mildly offended.

“I know you did, love,” Emily assured her. “Because you always give you all to everything you do. That’s all that anyone could ask for.” 

“I know,” JJ sighed. “I’m just… frustrated with myself. And cold. And in pain... and I’m venting it all to you, babe, I’m sorry.” 

“Hey,” Emily slipped two fingers under JJ’s chin, tilting the younger woman’s head up to face her, pressing a soft, loving kiss to JJ’s lips. “It’s okay.”

Emily rolled all the way onto her back, pulling JJ to lie flush on top of her like a weighted blanket. She tugged the blankets all the way up to make sure the two of them were completely sealed in a little blanketed cocoon of warmth. Dropping her hands to JJ’s shoulders, Emily could feel the blonde’s muscles practically popping under her fingers, taut like guitar strings. Digging in with her thumbs and knuckles, Emily tried to work some of the knots out of JJ’s muscular shoulders. 

JJ hummed in delight, pressing her face against the warm, soft skin of Emily’s neck. Her body was regaining warmth with the heat radiating from Emily’s body, while the raven-haired woman’s fingers were slowly releasing some of the tension she was still holding in her upper body. Her shivers were slowly beginning to subside, and her eyelids grew heavy as she relaxed into Emily.

“That feels so good, baby,” JJ murmured sleepily, pressing a flurry of kisses against the pale column of Emily’s neck. “Thank you.” 

Emily’s fingers eventually slowed as JJ’s breathing evened out, indicating that the blonde had drifted off to sleep on top of her. She allowed herself to relax and drift off as well, kissing the top of JJ’s hair tenderly.

“I love you, Jayje. And I’m always proud of you.” 


End file.
